Splitting-wedge



P. SCHULTZ. A SPLITTING WEDGE.

ICATIO FILED MAR 1,395,209, I Patented Oct. 25, 1921 i azzl/ Sch/ 2232 UNITED STATES PAUL SCHULTZ, OF MIDDLEVILLE, NEW YORK.

SPLITTING-WEDGE.

Application filed March 7, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL SCHULTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Middleville, in the county of Herkimer, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SplittinglVedges; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in timber tools and particularly to wedges.

One object of the invention is to provide a spliting wedge in which the driving point is so formed that it may be driven into very hard or frozen wood without danger of being immediately forced out again by the closing action of the walls of the split in the wood.

Another object is to provide a wedge of the character named having a series of shoulders arranged in such manner that when the wedge is driven into the split in the wood the action will resemble that employed when a bar is placed in the split and rocked back and forth in the split.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a wedge made in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, the body 10 of the wedge is tapered throughout its entire length from the butt end to the driving point. Formed on each of the wider long faces of the wedge are the transverse shoulders 11 and 12, respectively, those on one side being offset or staggered with respect to those on the other side, with the result'that the wedge Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

Serial No. 450,178.

is made up of a series of smaller wedges of gradually increasing size, from the point to the butt. It will be noted that, by reason of the fact that the upper portion of each wedge section is opposite the lower portion of the next wedge section above it, the entire wedge will rock first toward one side of the split of the wood, and then toward the other side, as the wedge is driven in. This will have the effect of prying, in the same manner as though a bar or wedge were inserted in the split and then rocked back and forth, with sufficient force at each movement to press open the split.

Furthermore, as the wedge is driven into the split, the shoulders will bite into the walls of the split and thus effectively prevent any tendency of the walls of the split to close and force the wedge out.

Particularly, is attention called to the driving point. It will be noted that the lower end of the lowermost wedge section is cut inwardly from its narrower side or edge faces to produce the shoulders 13, the portion therebelow being flared outwardly, as shown at 14. Thus, when the point is driven into very hard wood, or wood that is frozen, the walls of the split will close around the point, and the edges thereof, so that the point will be firmly grippedand held against jumping out of the split.

What is claimed is:

A splitting wedge comprising a body having two of its longer sides parallel and its other two sides converging toward one end, the smaller end of the body being undercut to form shoulders and having the portion therebelow flared to a width approximately that of the body.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

. PAUL SCHULTZ.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR A. JULIAN, VVM. H. MOLINEUX. 

